


a little sympathy i hope you can show me

by orphan_account



Series: slowly [1]
Category: Formula E RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cuddling, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, NYC Eprix, THAT radio message
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-29 21:17:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20088916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Finally away from all the cameras, all the microphones, all the people.





	a little sympathy i hope you can show me

**Author's Note:**

> Well. Here it is. Banged it out in five days. First actual posting in this fandom, and I'm excited to hear what you think! Please let me know in the comments <3
> 
> I would like to thank ee for being my lovely beta reader and encouraging me to post this <3 you can find her at @lclrcs on tumblr and @LCLRCS on twitter. Give her a lovely little follow.
> 
> Enjoy!

“What the fuck was that?” Andre caught up to Jean-Eric in the hallway of their hotel, finally away from the cameras, and Jean-Eric inwardly groaned. He had never resented how close their hotel rooms always were to each other until today. 

“Oh, don’t start with me.” Jean-Eric rolled his eyes and continued down the hall to his room.

“No, no, I think I will start with you. Are you serious? Jean-”

“Don’t ‘Jean-Eric’ me. You don’t get to call me that anymore.” Jean-Eric hissed, unlocking his hotel door, turning to close it in Andre’s face. Andre threw his arm up, blocking the door from slamming shut. 

“You’re gonna play that card now? Really? You wonder why I’m leaving? Today is a perfect example. All I am, all I was, was a fucking stepping stone for you. The team always put you ahead of me, and sure, maybe you’re the better driver, maybe I was a fool for thinking we were equals, but today just proved I made the right decision. All the flirting and teasing on camera and everything behind the camera didn’t mean shit to you, did it?! All I was to you was something for you to use to get more points on the track and off the track? I was just a way for you to get your rocks off, right? That’s all I am for you. Just a toy for you to play with. A building block to success. You wanted to know why I decided to leave, well, there it is. I’ve never been anything in my life, and, god, the one time I thought I could be something.” Andre’s voice dropped off, his arm falling from the door. He turned away, a humorless laugh ripping from his throat. “The one time I thought I could be something.”

The door fell shut before Jean-Eric could react. The rage and betrayal he felt towards Andre dissipated so quickly it left him feeling lightheaded. The heavy slam of the door startled him back to reality, and Jean-Eric yanked it back open as quickly as he could, knowing his chances of salvaging this – this what? this relationship? this partnership? this friendship? – were getting slimmer by the millisecond.

“Andre, wait, Andre!” Jean-Eric yelled down the hotel corridor, giving a fleeting thought to apologizing to anyone else with a room on the seventh floor. Andre was stabbing at the button for the elevator, the line of tension running through his shoulders visible from down the hall. 

“Don’t, Jev.” Venom dripped from those three letters, and Jean-Eric didn’t realize how wrong it would sound when said in Andre’s familiar voice. 

“Andre, Andre, listen to me. I didn’t- That wasn’t- Andre, wait!” Jean-Eric ran to catch up with him, grabbing on to his shirtsleeve. Andre jerked his arm out of Jean-Eric’s hold.

“I’m serious, Jev. You’ve wasted enough of my time.” The words were harsh, but his voice struggled to say them.

“I was scared, Andre, I was scared! God, Andre, I-” The arrival of the elevator interrupted Jean-Eric. He turned to Andre, distraught. “Please, please, Andre, let me explain. I can’t- Andre, please. Five minutes of your time, that’s all I ask. Please.”

Jean-Eric could see the war happening behind Andre’s eyes. Jean-Eric had never met someone who’s eyes were so clearly a glimpse into the soul, and with his reflective sunglasses hanging against the row of buttons instead of sitting on the bridge of his nose, there was nowhere for Andre to hide. 

“Three minutes. And you don’t fucking touch me. And not in the middle of a hotel hallway.” Andre grit out. Jean-Eric sagged against the elevator frame as Andre turned and stalked back towards Jean-Eric’s room. He pulled a keycard from his pocket and gave Jean-Eric a pointed look as he unlocked the door, pulling Jean-Eric back to the memory of a few short days ago. He had slipped his extra keycard into Andre’s back pocket after checking in, hiding it with a playful slap on the ass. Later that night, Jean-Eric had found Andre’s spare keycard in the chest pocket of his shirt. They had gotten so good at it. 

Jean-Eric hurried to catch the door before it slammed shut again and found Andre standing by the desk, arms folded across his chest. He was scowling, and it would be intimidating if Jean-Eric didn’t to know where to find the fear in his eyes, the trembling in his fingers. 

“I don’t have any excuse for my words in the car today. I really regret it. As soon as I said it, I knew it was the wrong thing. I was mad at you, of course, for signing with Porsche. Of course I was. I still am hurt. But that’s not why I said it, it wasn’t because I had written you off, never think that. I had never, ever, thought of using you for points and I hate myself for suggesting that today. I apologized to the team, please, please, let me apologize to you. I’m so sorry, Andre. I know I can’t ever make it up to you, but, god, you have know I wish I could. You don’t have to accept my apology, I know I fucked up. Don’t say it’s fine, because it isn’t. I’m just so sorry.” Jean-Eric said in a rush, dropping to sit on the coffee table.

Andre shifted his weight. He didn’t uncross his arms, didn’t let Jean-Eric in, but the scowl had slipped off his face. The silence stretched for a bit, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It never was, between them. 

“I thought… I thought we had something.” Jean-Eric started again, quieter. “I never realized that you might have felt differently about us. Andre, god, you’re…” he paused, struggling to pull a full breath in, “…you’re so much more to me than just a quick fuck. I thought you knew that. I thought you knew how much you mean to me.”

“You never spent the night.” Andre’s voice was flat. His hands tightened their grip on his arms, and he turned his stare from the carpet to Jean-Eric’s face.

“I didn’t think you wanted me to. God, Andre, you have no idea how lucky I felt just to be able to share just those touches with you. I thought I would be pushing my luck by staying in your bed any longer than necessary. I didn’t think you wanted me like that. I… I didn’t think I could get that lucky again.” The end was the barest hint of a whisper, and Jean-Eric looked up at Andre, defeated. Daniel had been the right person at the wrong time, and Jean-Eric still wondered what could have been, if not for Red Bull.

“You still love him, then.”

“Andre, I love Daniel like an old friend. We went through trauma together and we’re healing together. I don’t know if he’s moved on, but I have. And besides, this isn’t about Daniel. This is about us. I’m sorry I didn’t realize you wanted more. You are… You are everything to me. I never realized just how much you meant until you told me you signed with Porsche and I thought I was really and truly losing you.” Jean-Eric ran a hand through his hair before trying to massage some of the tension out of his neck. The team was surely looking for him now, his engineers and pit crew and everyone else waiting for their champion to go party.

“I guess… I guess we both need to communicate more, huh?” Andre sat down on the coffee table next to Jean-Eric, bumping their shoulders together. Jean-Eric chanced a hopeful look in his direction.

“This doesn’t fix everything, Jean-Eric. We’re still going to have to talk more about this. And I know it’ll be harder next year. But… I want to give us the chance you and Daniel never had. You guys obviously had something special, and I think we do too.” Andre slipped his arm around Jean-Eric’s waist, pulling the Frenchman into his side. Jean-Eric rested his head on Andre’s shoulder oh-so-naturally, and Andre kissed his hair, as if they had been doing this for years. 

They sat, perfectly comfortable on the uncomfortable table, before Andre sighed, his hand squeezing Jean-Eric’s hip.

“I guess you’ve got places to be, huh, champion?” 

“Yeah…. But I don’t want to be those places, though, I want to be in this place. With you,” Jean-Eric said, wiggling his way closer to Andre, as if he could get any closer.

“Jean-Eric…” Andre trailed off, looking down at him with a soft smile. 

“I know, I know… You could come with me, you know. We did win the constructors championship too.” Jean-Eric looked up to meet Andre’s gaze, pushing his bottom lip out in a pout. “Pleeeeeaaaase, Andre, pleeeeeaaase?”

Andre laughed, leaning down to kiss the pout off Jean-Eric’s lips, but paused an inch from his lips. All thoughts of partying were suddenly gone, the only thing on Andre’s mind was the pouting lips a breath away from his. 

“Can I kiss you?” He breathed, scared to shatter the small bubble of peace they had found. 

“Of course.” Jean-Eric whispered back. Their lips met, soft and tentative, trying to find themselves in each other. It didn’t take long for the shyness to fall away, and Jean-Eric shifted into Andre’s lap, framing his face with his hands. 

“Jean- Jean-Eric, mm, we have to stop.” Andre pulled away, catching Jean-Eric by the shoulders when he tried to follow Andre’s mouth. Jean-Eric pouted again, slumping to drop his head onto Andre’s shoulder. 

“This party’s gonna be dumb.” Jean-Eric muttered into Andre’s shirt, just to feel the rumble of Andre’s laugh.

“You’re the first two-time champion. It’s gonna be incredible.” Andre smiled, rubbing his back. Jean-Eric snorted.

“I still wish you would come with me.”

“No, baby, this is your party. I’ll be here for when you’re all done. We have forever and a day to spend together.” Andre kissed him again before ‘lovingly’ dumping him onto the couch.

As Jean-Eric changed from his team clothes into something more appropriate for the New York City night life scene, Andre grabbed most of his things from his room and hauled them across the hall. Jean-Eric stole kisses when he could and took an especially intense one as he was leaving.  
Andre couldn’t deny how natural it seemed to have his suitcase open next to Jean-Eric’s. He grabbed a book and settled into the still-made side of the bed, content to spend a few hours by lamplight.

As the clock ticked over to three am and Andre got ready to turn off the lights, something stumbled into the door. Andre could hear the plastic keycard being slapped at the lock, and he sat up halfway, debating whether he should go help Jean-Eric open the door or not. Deciding it was funnier this way, Andre waited for Jean-Eric to topple through the door after he got it unlocked, which didn’t take long.

“Oh. Hey. You’re still here.” Jean-Eric sounded surprised to see Andre in his bed. 

“Of course, baby. Do you want help?” Andre asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice as he watched Jean-Eric stand, take two steps, and trip over the couch. 

“I’ve got it. Just… just gotta get… changed.” Jean-Eric managed to stumble his way over to the bathroom, grabbing a pair of Andre’s sweats as he wobbled past the suitcases. Andre couldn’t stamp down the little bloom of warmth in his chest caused by knowing Jean-Eric would be wearing his clothes.

Jean-Eric emerged a bit later. He had taken much longer than normal to wash his face and change pants, but Andre was just happy he hadn’t smashed his head into the vanity. Jean-Eric stumbled into bed, doing his best to wriggle over to Andre, but only succeeding in tangling himself in the sheets. Andre laughed as Jean-Eric looked down at the blankets, confused as to what had happened. 

“Here, let me.” Andre pulled Jean-Eric closer to him, untangling the sheets as he went. Expecting a drunk Jean-Eric to return, Andre had set several bottles of water on the nightstand earlier that evening and handed one to Jean-Eric now. 

“Oops.” Jean-Eric mumbled as he spilled a bit onto his chest, and Andre chuckled again. 

“I like your laugh. Wanna hear it all the time.” Jean-Eric dropped his head onto Andre’s shoulder after drinking about half the bottle. “S’nice you’re still here. Didn’t expect you to be.”

“I’m sorry I ever made you feel that way, baby.” Andre brushed Jean-Eric’s hair away from his face, giving him a kiss on the forehead.

“S’okay. You shouldn’t be apologizing-” Jean-Eric was interrupted by a rather large yawn, “-anyway. I should be for all those mean things I said.” 

“You were in the right, Jean-Eric. We don’t have to talk about it any more tonight, okay? We can sleep,” Andre said quietly, stretching to turn off the light without jostling Jean-Eric, who hummed happily when the room fell into darkness.

“Mm… sleep’s nice. You’re a good pillow, too.” Jean-Eric burrowed deeper into the blankets, throwing a leg over Andre’s with as much coordination as he could muster.

“Good night, champion.” Andre kissed the side of his head once more.

“Oh, right. Forgot about that.” Jean-Eric whispered almost to himself, and Andre couldn’t help but laugh into the darkness. 

Yeah, they were gonna be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr @workinghard-dreamingbig and normally I would link it but it's currently 23:30 and I have to be up at 8 tomorrow morning... sorry babes <3 thank you so much for reading. please leave a comment if you'd like.


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